PEOPLE

Maroon 5 launches summer tour, writes for new album

4/2/2013

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Members of Maroon 5, from left, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, Adam Levine, James Valentine and Matt Flynn, pose for photos. The Grammy-winning band announced Monday that they will headline the 2013 Honda Civic Tour, which kicks off Aug. 1 in St. Louis.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Members of Maroon 5, from left, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, Adam Levine, James Valentine and Matt Flynn, pose for photos. The Grammy-winning band announced Monday that they will headline the 2013 Honda Civic Tour, which kicks off Aug. 1 in St. Louis.

NEW YORK — Maroon 5 says they’re working on a new album, but before that the pop-rockers will launch a summer tour that finds the fivesome playing outdoors.

The Grammy-winning band announced Monday that they will headline the 2013 Honda Civic Tour, which kicks off Aug. 1 in St. Louis and will feature Kelly Clarkson.

“I think the live outdoor kind of summer vibe is always different than the indoor arena tour because there's less emphasis on production and more on live music,” frontman Adam Levine said in an interview. “It's kind of the purist form of a tour ‘cause there's not too many bells and whistles.”

The 31-date tour wraps Oct. 5 in San Diego.

Levine says he and his bandmates are riding high off the success of last year’s “Overexposed,” their fourth album that has achieved platinum status. It features the popular hits “Payphone,” ‘'One More Time,” and “Daylight.”

“It’s so amazing to have an album people connect with and embrace. It’s a dream come true. It’s hard to believe to have lighting strike twice and three times and four times,” he said. “We’re having a moment. A good moment.”

He also says the group is working on the follow-up to that album: “We’re just getting started. We’ve got some great songs in the can.”

“The stuff we’re working on now, it definitely has gone maybe a little darker in its sound, maybe back a little bit more to what we kind of did on (our debut) ‘Songs About Jane,’ ” said guitarist James Valentine. “But at this point we do have all kinds of different songs and it is early.”

Levine is also busy balancing his life with NBC’s The Voice, which returned last week with new coaches Shakira and Usher, alongside Blake Shelton.

The Cure, Mumford and Sons to play Lollapalooza

CHICAGO — The Cure will headline Lollapalooza in Chicago this summer for the first time in the festival’s more than 20-year history.

Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell announced the lineup of about 130 bands on Monday. It also includes headliners Mumford and Sons, The Killers and Nine Inch Nails.

The lineup includes Lollapalooza’s well-known mix of indie bands, singer-songwriters and country, hip-hop, rock and electronic acts. Musicians come from across the U.S. and the world, including countries like Australia, Brazil, Chile, Greece, and Sweden.

The festival runs from Aug. 2 to 4 in Grant Park. It’s Lollapalooza’s ninth year in Chicago. Farrell started the festival in 1991.

Barbara Walters mum on retirement reports

NEW YORK — Barbara Walters says the paparazzi were lying in wait, but she's not saying anything about her future employment.

Walters returned to The View on Monday, after reports circulated widely the previous Friday that she would be retiring from television in May, 2014. The television news legend is 83 years old.

She said photographers were waiting for her as she went to work on Monday, expecting she would discuss her future plans on the air. Instead, Walters had nothing to say about whether or not the stories were true, saying “I have no announcement to make.”

Walters created The View in 1997.

Cruise makes visit to Rio’s Maracana stadium

RIO DE JANEIRO — Tom Cruise took time off from promoting his latest movie in Brazil by visiting Maracana stadium and meeting former Brazilian soccer star Zico.

Cruise posed for photos at the stadium’s newly installed field holding a Brazil jersey with his name on the back.

The actor told Globo TV it “would be an honor” to make it to the 2014 World Cup final at the famed venue. He received an autographed ball from Zico.

The Maracana, which also hosted the 1950 World Cup final, is being renovated ahead of next June’s Confederations Cup.

Cruise arrived last week to promote his new sci-fi film, Oblivion.

Copyright 2016 The Blade. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission.